As part of a series with the Smithsonian Institution presenting 25 objects that tell the story of America, Daniel Piazza, chief curator of philately at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, talks about the significance of the first stamps issued by the federal government. 

Plus, few people know the real story of "The Star-Spangled Banner," or that the massive flag that inspired it still exists. Jennifer Jones, a curator of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, shares the history of the banner.

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Former special counsel Jack Smith said in front of the House Judiciary Committee that, if the Justice Department was able to investigate President Trump’s push to overturn the 2020 election results, a jury would have found him guilty. Politico’s Kyle Cheney shares more from Smith’s testimony.

Then, Kaohly Her, mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota, explains what she’s seeing in her city as brutal Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations continue. Her has been subpoenaed by the Justice Department.

And, Russian officials have been responding cheerfully to the growing rift between the U.S. and its NATO allies in Europe. The American Enterprise Institute's Angela Stent details how Trump’s push to control Greenland affects Russia’s geopolitical strategy. 

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President Trump is escalating his pressure campaign to acquire Greenland from Denmark and threatening more tariffs against Europe. Liana Fix from the Council on Foreign Relations explains how European nations are responding.

Then, the Department of Homeland Security claims to have arrested 3,000 criminal migrants in Minnesota over the last six weeks. But, as Minnesota Public Radio’s Matt Sepic reports, that number is misleading, and U.S. citizens are getting caught up in immigration operations too.

And, Tuesday marks one year of Trump’s second term. Princeton University historian Julian Zelizer says Trump has expanded presidential power to advance his agenda, something Republicans have been trying to do for decades, despite claims of favoring a limited federal government.

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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey discusses ongoing unrest in Minnesota following a surge of immigration enforcement, a killing by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, and protests. 

Then, removing MLK Day as a national holiday altogether would require an act of Congress, but some conservatives are calling for that. Journalist Andrew Lawrence joins us to discuss how Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy is being degraded and what that means for how we understand the history of race and racism in the U.S. 

And, President Trump is inviting world leaders to join his 'Board of Peace' to rehabilitate Gaza. The Guardian's Julian Borger explains how this entity might work.


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Texas A&M University adopted a rule last November banning the teaching of “race and gender ideology,” which includes Plato’s 2,400-year-old “Symposium.” Professor Martin Peterson explains how he thinks the move will hurt his philosophy students.

Then, Bob Weir, a founding member of and guitarist for the Grateful Dead, died this month. Music journalist Alan Paul unpacks Weir's rhythm guitar playing style and how it defined rock & roll music.

And, in California, three people have died, and dozens more are sick after eating death cap mushrooms. Interim health officer for Sonoma County, Dr. Michael Stacey, explains more.

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This week the Oglala Sioux Tribe said tribal members were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after raids in Minnesota. AP's Graham Lee Brewer tells us more.

Then, President Trump is threatening to send the military to Minneapolis after another tense night there. Habon Abdulle, the executive director of the nonprofit Ayada Leads in Minneapolis, explains the toll on the Somali community there. 

And, Wyoming lawmakers are proposing sweeping budget cuts to the state's health care system, economic development council, and only four-year public university, even though the state has a budget surplus. WyoFile reporter Maggie Mullen talks about why lawmakers are proposing these cuts and what they would mean for residents.

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The Justice Department pushed federal prosecutors in Minnesota to investigate the widow of Renee Macklin Good rather than the immigration agent who killed her. Georgetown Law professor Mary McCord explains the pressure campaign and the subsequent resignation of six prosecutors.

And, historian Julian Zelizer said videos “once provided a powerful counterweight to official narratives.” But in the age of misinformation, the role of video has been eroded. He unpacks the role of video footage in Macklin Good’s killing in Minneapolis and the aftermath.

Then, President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Grist’s Jake Bittle details this dramatic move against global climate action.

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After an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis last week, there’s widespread outrage over the use of force by federal immigration officers across the country. That includes chokeholds, even though that tactic was banned in most cases after the 2020 murder of George Floyd. ProPublica's Nicole Foy tells us more. 

Then, Phil Gunson, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, gives an update from Caracas on the recent capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

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The Trump administration is threatening criminal charges against Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Powell said it’s part of a pressure campaign from the administration to lower interest rates. Economist Jason Furman explains more.

And, in Iran, more than 500 people have been killed during anti-government protests since they started in late December, according to the Washington-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. Alireza Nader, former researcher at RAND and the U.S. Treasury, joins us.

Then, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani have unveiled a plan to offer free child care for 2-year-olds. Citizens Unions’ Grace Rauh details what this could mean for families.

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